Chart Watch: “Dark Horse” Holds Off “Happy”

Yahoo Music

Paul GreinFebruary 19, 2014

"Dark Horse" by Katy Perry featuring Juicy J tops the Hot 100 for the fourth straight week, holding off Pharrell Williams's "Happy," which holds at #2 for the second week. Last week, "Dark Horse" led "Happy" by a 30% margin in total Hot 100 points. This week, it leads by just 5%. So "Happy" may well take the lead next week, which would put it at #1 on the eve of the Academy Awards, where it is nominated for Original Song.

"Dark Horse" moves up to #1 on the Radio Songs airplay chart, displacing OneRepublic's "Counting Stars," which had led for four weeks. It's Perry's seventh #1 on the Radio Songs chart, which originated in 1990. Just two artists have had more #1 hits on this chart: Rihanna (with 12 chart-toppers) and Mariah Carey (with 11). (Usher has also had seven #1 hits on this chart, which makes him the top male artist).

"Dark Horse" tops the 3 million mark in digital sales this week. It's Perry's 10th hit to reach that plateau. Eight of her nine #1 hits have topped 3 million. The exception is "Part Of Me," which is up to 2,723,000. Perry's two non #1 hits that have hit 3 million are "Hot N Cold" and "Wide Awake."

I can't resist pointing out that "Dark Horse" this week pulls ahead of America's1972 hit "A Horse With No Name" as the longest-running #1 hit with the word "horse" in the title.

"Happy" topsthe 1 million mark in digital sales this week. It's Williams' first million-seller as a lead artist. The impossibly upbeat hit jumps to #1 on Hot Digital Songs. It's Williams' third #1 on the digital sales chart, following two songs on which he was featured: Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot" (five weeks on top in 2004) and Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" (10 weeks in 2013).

"Happy" also spends a second week at #1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

OneRepublic's "Counting Stars" rebounds from #7 to #6. The song peaked at #2. The song tops the 4 million mark in digital sales. It's the group's second 4 million seller. Timbaland's "Apologize," on which they had a featured credit, is up to 5,819,000.

Bastille's "Pompeii" jumps from #10 to #8 in its 27thweek on the chart. This is a new peak for the song. "Pompeii" is the only song in the top 10 that climbs to a new peak this week. In addition, the song moves up to #1 in its 40th week on the Hot Rock Songs chart, displacing Passenger's "Let Her Go." "Pompeii" reached #2 on the U.K.'s Official Singles Chart last year.

Here's a recap of this week's top 10 songs.

The Top Five: "Dark Horse" by Katy Perry featuring Juicy J holds at #1 for the fourth week its 22nd week on the chart. This is its seventh week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #2 (277K) … PharrellWilliams's"Happy" holds at #2 for the second week in its seventh week on the chart. This is its third week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #1 (329K) … "Talk Dirty" by Jason Derulo featuring 2 Chainz holds at #3 for the second week in its ninth week on the chart. This is its fourth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #3 (266K) …"Say Something" by A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera holds at #4 for the second week in its 15th week on the chart. This is its 12th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #6 (145K) …"Drunk In Love" by Beyonce featuring Jay Z rebounds from #8 to #5 in its ninth week on the chart. This is its third week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #12 (109K)

The Second Five: OneRepublic's "Counting Stars" rebounds from #7 to #6 in its 35th week on the chart. This is its 17th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #13 (100K) …. "Timber" by Pitbull featuring Ke$ha dips from #6 to #7 in its 19th week on the chart. This is its 14th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #10 (123K) … Bastille's"Pompeii" jumps from #10 to #8 in its 27th week on the chart. This is its fourth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #5 (146K). … Lorde's"Team"holds at #9 for the second week in its 21st week on the chart. This is its fifth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #11 (118K)…. Passenger's "Let Her Go" drops from #5 to #10 in its 29th week on the chart. This is its 12th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #7 (132K).

No songs move in or out of the top 10 this week.

Three songs that are not yet in the top 10 on the Hot 100 are listed in the top 10 on Hot Digital Songs. They are John Legend's "All Of Me" (Digital sales rank: #4, 164K), Aloe Blacc's "The Man" (Digital sales rank: #8, 129K) and Idina Menzel's "Let It Go" (Digital sales rank: #9, 127K). "All Of Me" and "The Man" both tops the 1 million mark in digital sales this week. "All Of Me" is Legend's second million-seller. "Green Light" (featuring Andre 3000) is up to 1,233,000.

"Everything Is AWESOME!!!" by Tegan and Sara featuring The Lonely Island is the week's top new entry at #62. It's from "The LEGO Movie" soundtrack, which jumps from #48 to #45 in its second week on The Billboard 200. The movie was #1 at the box-office for the second straight weekend. This is the second Hot 100 hit for Tegan and Sara; the seventh for The Lonely Island. That comedy troupe is starting to close in on "Weird Al" Yankovic, the biggest comedy/novelty star of the past few decades. Yankovic has amassed 10 Hot 100 hits. Incidentally, this isn't the first "awesome" song to become a Hot 100 hit. Spose took the novelty song "I'm Awesome" to #37 in April 2010.

"Achy Breaky 2" by Buck 22 featuring Billy Ray Cyrus debuts at #80. This is a country rap make-over of Cyrus' 1992 smash "Achy Breaky Heart." Cyrus' original song reached #4 in the summer of 1992 and logged 10 weeks in the top 10. Buck 22 is a stage name for Damon Elliott, who is the son of jazz drummer Bill Elliott and the great pop and R&B singer Dionne Warwick. So "Achy Breaky 2" is a collabo which pairs the son of one pop star and the father of another.

Mariah Carey lands her 46th Hot 100 hit as "You're Mine (Eternal)" debuts at #88. It's from her upcoming, much-delayed studio album "The Art Of Letting Go." (An ironic title given the repeated delays!) The album is due May 4. It will be her first non-holiday studio album in nearly five years.